Lie-B-Gone

This article was published in the Kidabra International magazine for children's and family entertainers.

This month I have an incredible gimmick to share with everyone.  I’m confident that most of my readers will try this, however, you won’t share the secret because it’s just too good.  We magicians are like that at times.  But I hope you will share anyway.

A minister friend of mine, Kevin A. Clouse of Cushing, OK, discovered this by accident.  He calls it a God thing and I agree.  He was spraying children’s chalk art with hair spray to set the chalk so it could be displayed without getting ruined.  The chalk was on black paper and the spray caused the art to disappear.  Yes, disappear.  He was shocked that he had destroyed the children’s art.  But within a few seconds it came back.  Is it magic or science?  It’s probably science but it sure looks like magic.  Kevin discovered that it seems to work best with black craft paper, glossy side up (also goes by the name "Colored Kraft"), sidewalk chalk and White Rain hair spray, which is very inexpensive.  Most schools and many churches will have the paper on large rolls.  A friend may be able to get you a sample to experiment.  You should be able to buy it at a school supply store.  It only works once but chalk and paper are cheap.

Here’s the best part.  Within minutes after Kevin learned the principle, God gave him a script to use with his children’s church.  When he told me the script I was blown away.  For gospel performers you will love this.  Below is his script, which he is sharing with us.  Below that is an additional script I wrote for character shows.  Even if you don’t perform gospel magic you’ll want to add this character message about lies to your shows for children.  AND I wrote another anti-bully message script too.  I encourage you to send Kevin an email to thank him for sharing the principle with us all.  Revkev1962@yahoo.com


Hide-A-Lie (Gospel Presentation)
By Kevin Clouse

Set Up: Type or write out the letter from Lucy Fur, wrap "White Rain" hair spray in black paper and attach a label that reads "Hide-A-Lie". Attach a piece of black Kraft paper, glossy side up, to a piece of poster board to catch over spray.

Presentation: Show bottle of Hide A Lie and tell the audience this is a new product you received and have been asked to test.
 "I think we might want to read this letter that comes with the product." (Follow the instructions of the letter, spraying the hair spray when it says "spray". Read the letter in your best sales pitch voice).

Letter
“Dear ___,
I have sent you a brand new product to try. Please give the product a try as you read.  Please remove the cap from your Hide-A-Lie can and place your pointer finger on the spray tip. After years of research, (press spray tip) we have developed a spray that will hide any lie you tell (press spray tip).

Take Hide-A-Lie to school and if the teacher asks for your homework, simply say, ‘My dog ate it.’  Spray and the lie will disappear (press spray tip). Hide-A-Lie is guaranteed to hide any kind of lie. (press spray tip). If your parents ask if you cleaned your room and you haven't, just spray a little Hide-A-Lie and don't worry about it (press spray tip). If you see something at the store you want, just put it in your pocket and walk away. When asked if you stole it, spray and poof it will be okay (press spray tip).

After you try our product, we know you will simply love what it does (press spray tip). We hope you enjoy Hide-A-Lie (press spray tip).
Sincerely,
Lucy Fur
  
I wonder if this stuff works. Sometimes we may try to tell a little white lie (write the word LIE in block letters on the black Kraft paper). Sometimes we may even try to tell a big lie (increase the size of the word lie). Let's try this Hide-A-Lie and see what happens.”

Spray the black paper and the word will vanish. Once the hair spray dries the writing will come back.
“The Bible says in Colossians 3:9 ‘Do not lie to each other.’ The ninth commandment says, ‘Do not bear false witness.’ So to tell something that isn't true is a lie. If we lie, there is no way to hide it; it will be come to light in time. We need to always speak the truth. The devil is the father of lies and if we follow his leadership we will DIE (Change the L in Lie to a D to spell DIE). The Bible says ‘The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.’”

Lie-B-Gone Spray (Character Show Presentation)
By Barry Mitchell
Being honest and telling the truth is a sign of good character.  Of course the better your character is the more friends you will have.  But I’ve invented a product that will allow you to be a lying dishonest cheat, and get away with it.  It’s Lie-B-Gone!

Now it’s possible to say goodbye to a lie.  With one spray you can fix a fib.  (Give a short spray in the air with each line you say.)  Keep your good name without the blame.  It’s all possible with Lie-B-Gone.  I’ll show you how it works.  You can start with a little white lie.  (Write the word “lie” in small letters on the black paper.  For large shows consider a large display board on an easel.)  As you continue to tell little lies you’ll want to move up to medium size lies.  (Write the word “lie” a little large each time you describe.)  With practice you’ll be able to tell BIG LIES.  Don’t worry.  No matter what you say or how many people you hurt Lie-B-Gone will make your lies disappear.  (Spray hair spray on drawing so it will vanish.)  It’s just like magic isn’t it?

With on bottle of Lie-B-Gone you can become the lying loser you always wanted to be.  (Talk to audience so you won’t notice when words reappear on board.) 

Wait, the lies are coming back.  They didn’t disappear.  This means Lie-B-Gone doesn’t work.  It’s a lie!  I guess that means our lies can’t be covered up forever.  Even thought they were hidden for a short time they came back.  The only way to have good character and be trusted by others is to NOT tell lies.

Bully-B-Gone (Anti-bully message)
By Barry Mitchell
We all know that friends help others and bullies hurt.  Is there anything we can do about it?  There is now.  It’s called Bully-B-Gone.  It’s a spray that causes the hurt, pain, and fear of bullies to disappear.  (Write the words, “hurt, pain, and fear” on the black paper in large letters.) 

We don’t have to suffer from bullies any more.  Just spray.  We don’t have to live in fear.  Just spray.  And we don’t even need to tell an adult when we are being bullied.  Just spray.  Watch how Bully-B-Gone makes hurt, pain, and fear disappear.  (Spray on letters.)  It’s just like magic.

You can get your bottle of Bully-B-Gone at most department stores.  You can clearly see the results of how your bully problem will disappear.  Wait, it’s coming back.  The hurt, pain, and fear are still here.  It didn’t work.  This is horrible.  This means there’s no way to be free of fear from bullies.  Wait, of course there is.  Friends help.  The best way to handle a bully will always be to tell an adult and get help.  It’s not a magic solution it’s the BEST solution.

Thinking for a Change #3

1. All success or failure in life is based on two things, the people you meet and the books you read.
  This is one of my favorite truths about life.  I heard this from a motivational speaker on a tape series I bought years ago.  I think his name was Charlie “Tremendous” Jones.  In case that wasn’t him, he’s still a great guy to credit it to.

I’ve used the phase in school shows for both elementary and high school age.  I’ve shared it with adult audiences and I’ve tried to live by it myself.  I have found that it really applies to everyone in both a secular and spiritual manner.  I believe with all my heart that if children were taught this truth repeatedly in the early years they would make better choices in their older years.

Take a moment to think about the phrase.  If the people you meet; are positive, encouraging, inspiring, and seeking your best you will most likely become a person with the same attitudes.  However, if you are surrounded by negative thinking and talking people you will likely become the same.  I know that my childhood was filled with negative people with an occasional positive influence.  It was those positive people that meant the most to me.  They were the ones telling me I could be somebody.  I credit all my success to positive influences and all my dysfunctional actions to the negative.  Therefore, it has been a struggle, and I mean STRUGGLE, all my life to overcome the negative.  That’s probably why I went into comedy since comedy is often negative. 

My story may also be your story, but it doesn’t have to remain your destiny.  YOU can CHOOSE to change your world, your attitude, and your future.  It isn’t easy but it’s possible.  I hope none of this makes sense to you and you were surrounded by positive influences.  However, I’m probably preaching to more negatively influenced people than positive.  Magicians as a group tend to suffer with low self-esteem, which drives them toward magic because it gives them a boost of superiority.  I may offend some with that statement but I’ve found it to be true in the majority of the magician’s I’ve met including myself.  So, I whole-heartedly agree that it is the people we meet that will determine our beginning in life but it’s the choices we make that will determine our future.

One of those positive choices is the information we use to fill our mind, the books we read.  There’s an old expression in the computer world, garbage in, garbage out.  It’s true of our mind as well.  If we fill it with trash or nothing at all we can only expect to get that in return.  You’ve most likely also heard, you are what you eat.  It’s all true.  Here’s a thought; which side of the television glass are you on?  If you’re on the outside you’re watching other people fulfill their dreams, even in the case of reality TV, although I don’t consider it much of a dream.  But if you’re ON the TV (an analogy for living your purpose) you’re doing the work it takes to make your dreams come true.  Where are you?

Take a moment to think about where you are in life, what your influences have been, and most importantly what kind of influence are you being to others.  Consider this book, “Becoming a Person of Influence,” by John Maxwell.  It isn’t a magic book but it will improve your life and make you a better entertainer.  Just do a little thinking for a change. 

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Thinking for a Change #2

Before you read this, think back to when Clay Aiken took second place in American Idol.  
What Made Clay the “Real” American Idol?

I admit I often think too much about trivial subjects.  For example, I may have over analyzed the popularity of Clay Aiken from the American Idol TV show.  But I do believe we children’s entertainers may learn something from this analysis.

I believe, I stress these are just my opinions, that Clay Aiken was the true American Idol winner a few years ago.  If you have any contact with TV you know that Ruben Studdard was the official winner of the reality TV show.  However, take a look at what happened after the contest.  Who received the most media attention?  Clay.  Who sold the most CDs?  Clay.  Who’s CD came to market first?  Clay.  For several months Clay was all over the TV and magazines.  Why was he so popular?  It could be attributed to his publicity crew but I believe it was because he was a picture of the American dream.  He was the underdog with talent.

When Clay was first seen on American Idol he was a big earred, goofy looking southern boy.  But he sure could sing.  His talent was undeniable but his look had to change.  In time a change of hair style and clothes started to show Clay as more than a goof.  He was a picture of the underdog that can be trained into greatness.  Clay’s popularity is a result of how we all feel at one time or another in life.  We all sometimes believe we are the underdog.  We cheer when we see evidence that the underdog has a chance to win big.

How can we learn from the underdog message of American Idol?  Begin by thinking about your audience of children.  Almost everyone in that audience wants to be a star.  The majority of them feel they are the underdog in a big world.  But some of them not only feel that way, they have been labeled by their peers as a loser.  Now think about what happens when you choose one of those children as a helper in your show.  You don’t just make a little person’s day, you improve their week and maybe even their year.

I started thinking about this subject when a lecture attendee in Denmark asked me how I choose audience helpers.  I think my choices may be different from that of many magicians.  I seldom go for the best looking or best dressed kids in the room.  I look for the kid that I believe has never been picked by any other performer.  I look for the kid that will see the opportunity to come on stage as one of the greatest moments in their life.   I look for a face that needs a smile. I look for Charlie Brown!

I’ve been choosing children this way for years now.  When I see other performer’s choose the coolest kid in the room I think to myself, “That kid doesn’t need the encouragement nearly as much as some of the other kids.”  If performers can catch a glimse of the meaning of their choices on stage they would make wiser choices.

People like to cheer for the underdog because deep down they feel they’re cheering for themselves.  Make a positive change in the way you choose your next show helpers.  You’ll improve your show and improve a life.  Until next time, keep thinking for a change.

Change Bag?

Magicians speak and live in a different world and we think differently than those outside our world.  We all assume we can easily move back and forth between these two worlds but sometimes we get lost in translation.

I was enjoying a Holiday Inn breakfast after a show the previous evening.  I noticed a little girl standing at the food area and overheard her say, “Change bag.”  At first I assumed I didn’t understand her correctly.  Then she said it again, “Change bag.”  I knew it!  But why did she say it?  Did she recognize me as the magician at the show last night?  But why would she say, “change bag” because I didn’t use a change bag in that show.  And I certainly wouldn’t announce, “This is a change bag.”  I kept going over the possible answers as I was seated to eat.  Then her little brother stood up beside her and said, “Change bag?”  Now I was totally stumped.  How much more did these kids know about the world of magic?  Why did they find it necessary to share all the secrets with the people at the breakfast counter?  How long would I listen before I had to prevent them from saying words like, “thumb tip?”  Then the lady in charge of the breakfast came up to them and the little girl said, “The pancake machine says, ‘change bag.’”  At that point the lady changed the bag in the machine and I felt like an idiot.  However, the secret of thumb tips is safe.

I did learn something from this change bag experience.  Stop thinking like a magician!  We all do this.  We assume we have to start a card trick by announcing, “I have an ordinary deck of cards.”  Only we know it’s a gimmicked deck and we’re lying.  But ordinary people outside our world have no reason to assume anything other than an ordinary deck exists.  How many times do we allow our way of thinking to make our performances more complicated than they need to be?  And I figured all that out from a kid who simply wanted another pancake.

Green Seeds Recycling Routine

Good Seeds is one of our sponge ball tricks using a green growing ball and eight ½ inch balls.  Its very easy to do and another great use is for a recycling message.  The trick is available on our website and the routine is below.  Link for trick is at the bottom.

(Show small balls)  I call these green seeds.  They remind me of what happens when we start making greener choices in our daily lives.  Some might say we need to make big changes right now to save our planet.  (Show growing ball, which has been turned inside out)  That would be great if we could, however, most people don’t like making big changes.  If the option is big change or no change most people would choose no change.  It’s sad but true.  However, everyone can do little things.  (Show eight balls as you discuss eight points)

Little things like change from an ordinary light bulb to a florescent bulb as they burn out is a small doable change.

Turning the water off while brushing your teeth is easy to do and a good change.

Putting the correct garbage in the correct recycling can is easy to do.

Turning the air conditioner temperature up a few degrees to save energy is easy to do.

Taking a stack of old newspapers to a recycling center once every couple months is easy to do.

Buying food in larger packages to reduce the amount of packaging used saves money and helps with trash reduction.  Easy to do.

Choosing products made from recycling products when possible is easy to do.

When we make some small changes and those are added to the small changes of others (push small balls into growing ball as you perform the turn inside out) something magical happens.  Working together we make a BIG difference in our world. 
Barry Mitchell

Good Seeds on our site

THINKING FOR A CHANGE #1

12 Part Series

My objective is to inspire you to think.  Not just to think as an exercise but to think for a change in our world.  A change toward excellence in entertainment.  As I reflect on my career so far and lifetime goals I’ve discovered that my thinking is focused in changing the face of magic in three areas.  I desire for magical entertainment to be more positive, more creative, and more entertainment based.  I’ll cover these categories over and over in the months ahead through these articles.

Let’s begin with a look at making magic more positive.  I was booked for a couple days of programs in OK for the Salvation Army.  I admit that I was ignorant of what the Salvation Army is and what the members do.  Basically, I knew they raised money at Christmas, operated thrift stores, and helped those in need.  Therefore, spending a couple days at a Salvation Army conference was a great opportunity to learn what these giving people were really like.

I learned that members of the Salvation Army churches are good people with huge hearts for others.  I learned about the powerful positive influence the SA has on the world.  And I even learned something about the world of entertainment.  That’s the knowledge I want to share with you as we think together for a change.  My SA experience gives me more evidence for why the positive approach is always best.

During a conversation with one of the high-ranking officials of the SA I was told about the Army hiring Jay Leno for one of their meetings.  Obviously he wasn’t available when they hired me.  Yes, I refer to Jay Leno from The Tonight Show.  Even he has to do gigs on the side from his regular job.  That sure does make me feel better about my career.

When Jay was being considered for the show there were concerns about his ability to play clean for the family friendly audience of SA members.  The organization was about to put up big money, and I mean big money, to fly Jay on a private jet for 2 hours of comedy.  Jay Leno personally called the gentleman who was telling me the story to ease any concerns about the show content.  Jay assured him that his show would be much cleaner than anything he might do on the Tonight Show television show.  Jay went through his act joke by joke so the SA representative would be comfortable with the content of the program.  Jay went on to explain that he understands what clean comedy is and that he would never do anything to offend his audience especially when doing his road shows. 

I was very impressed to hear about Mr. Leno’s high standards of clean comedy when working with family audiences.  The high-ranking official went on to tell me that Jay delivered on every promise and it was a great event for everyone.  He felt it was worth every penny they paid to have the famous Jay Leno.

So what did I learn from this conversation?  I suppose one might think I learned the importance of playing clean.  Actually, I already knew that.  However, I was impressed with Mr. Leno for recognizing that what makes it on TV is not necessarily what families want to see.  What I really learned was the importance of following through on the promises we make about our shows.

The SA representative said Jay delivered on every promise and everyone had a great time.  How many times have we, as performers, made promises to split their sides with laughter, blow their minds in amazement, or offer jaw dropping thrills of illusion?  But do we deliver on these promises or do we just steal the audience’s time away from a boring TV show?  It isn’t easy to entertain people.  If it were easy we wouldn’t be able to command the high fees that we all believe we are worth.  No, the truth is there is skill and experience necessary to truly entertain an audience.  Not just really nice props.  The first skill necessary is to be honest with yourself and then your audience.  Be honest enough with yourself to make only promises about your entertainment that you can keep.  And be honest enough with your audience to deliver on those promises.  When you begin to truly do those two things in your career you’ll begin to notice a slight change in the wind of fortune coming your direction.  Now that’s a positive change.  Until next time keep thinking for a change. 

Barry Mitchell

Published in Kidabra Journal  www.kidabra.com